egon mayer

Egon Mayer - 102 kills in 353 missions, including 26 4-engined bombers, 51 Spitfires, and 12 Thunderbolts. He was the first to score 100 victories on the Western Front. He also developed the head on attack as the most effective tactic vs. Allied daylight combat-box bomber formations. This tactic helped the Luftwaffe pilots reduce their exposure to defensive fire from the bomber stream, and inflict maximum damage on the lightly armored front of their targets.Mayer was finally shot down and killed by unseen Thunderbolts, who jumped him and hammered his FW190. His aircraft was seen taking hits on the nose and cockpit area, snap rolled onto its back and dove into the ground.

​This item shows Mayer's famous rudder, recreated from photographs, when he was at the height of his success.